Apparatus for classifying material



March 14, 1939. J, E KENNEDY 4 2,150.226

APPARATUS FOR CLASSIFYING MATERIAL Filed oct'. 31, 1936 s'neets-Sheet l INVENTOR. f. E. [ff/Medy 2! na/0. 20 ATTO NEY 2 sheets-sheet 2 J. E. KENNEDY lFiled oct. 51, 195e APPARATUS FOR CLASSIFYING MATERIAL March 14, 1939.

Patented Mar. 149 1939 UNITED STATES"` 2,150,226 A APPARATUS Foa cLA'ssmrmG MATERIAL Joseph E. Kennedy, New York, N. Y., assignor to Kennedy-Van Saun Mfg. & Eng. Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation oi Delaware Application October 31,1936, Serial No. 108,509 claims. (c1. 20s-16o) 'Ihis invention relates to the separating and classifying of material, such as ore or sand, by the wet method, wherein a mass of material is subjected to the action of a stream or streams of 5 liquid, such as water, to separate and flow oil' from the mass particles of material of predetermined speciied gravity or degree of flnness, and it isthe principal object of the invention to provide improved' means. to subject the material to be separated and classified and consisting of solids of different degrees of fineness or specific gravity to the action of a stream or streams of liq-` uid as the material is delivered into the container and the material collected in the container to l5 eifect a separation of vparticles of material below a predetermined specific gravity or of a predetermined degree of neness from the mass of the material, and while it is'adapted particularly for the separating of particles of material below a 30 predetermined specific gravity from a mass of material, such as crushed ore, it is also adapted for the separating of foreign substances from a product, such as the separating of loam and col- Y loidal matter from sand, and classify sand by g5 separating of sand of predetermined degree of flneness from a mass of sand. 'N

It is another object of the invention to provide means for this purpose which is adjustable to separate particles of different specific gravity and .30 different degrees of iineness from a product, such as crushed ore or sand.

' Another object vof the` invention is to provide apparatus of this character wherein there is 'effected a dewatering or reduction of the moisture 35 content of the solids of the treated material and thus adapt the treated material to be transported by a belt conveyer. A

It is a further object of the invention to provide in apparatus of this character means emo bodying a container into which the material to be treated is delivered and subjected to the action of a liquid as it is delivered'into the container to effect classification of the material and adapted to collect classified material in the container and within a predetermined degree of flneness or specific gravity and the returning ofthe coarsematerial to the reducing means for further treatward and downward. verticall movement, said body being normally urged upward with no material therein and adapted to be moved downward proportional with the quantity of material therein, the material to be classied being delivered into the top of said body. The opening through the lower end of the body is provided with a closure supported to have movementv toward and away from said end of the body and connected with the body to transmit closing movement to the closure by the upward movement of the body and opening lmovement to the` closure by the downward movement of the body. Means are provided to deliver the material to the body to be classified and effect a spreading and directing of the material in opposite directions toward the side of the body as it is lled therein. To effect a separation and classifying of the material filled into the body nozzles adapted for connection with t a source of liquid, such as water, are mounted in the wall of and open to the interior of the body,

the nozzles being arranged in rows spaced longiin the classifying of crushed ore the classifier is v used in conjunction with suitable material reducing means, and means are provided to deliver the reduced ore as it is crushed to the body of the classifier and to receive the coarse material settled in and discharged fro l the body and transport said material back o the reducing means for further reduction. 1

In the drawings accompanying and forming;

a part of this application Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the classifier taken on the line I-i of Figure 6 looking in the direction of i f 30 tudinally of the body within the top and bottom e the arrows and showing the partsin normal vposition.

Figure2 is a View similar to Figure 1 and showing the lling of material to be classified into the container or body of the classier and the separating or classifying of such material and settling of the coarse material in the body.

Figure 3' is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the container or body in lowered position and the closure actuatedto' discharge from the body material settled therein.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional View of the container or body taken substantially on the line liof Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the manner of mountingthe nozzles in the wall of the body or container.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the upper portion of the container or body taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 7 looking in the. direction of the arrows to show the mounting of a manually operative lever to actuate the closure for the lower end of the body.

Figure 6 is a side elevation showing the classier in conjunction with materialreducing means In the embodiment of the classifier illustrated there is provided a container in the form of l-a tubular or cylindrical body or hopper 8 open at the opposite ends and preferably of truncated form and may be constructed of sheet metal, such as boiler plate. The body is yieldingly supported in inverted position :to have vertical or upward and downward linear movement, and normally urged upwardly to predetermined po'- sition with no material or load in the body, by tie rods 9 having an eye l0 at one pivotally engaging eye or yoke members Il xed to the upper end of and spaced 90 degrees apart about the body. The rods 8 slidably engage in and extend through openings in beams or sills l2 supported upon a suitable foundation, or'they may constitute the beams of a building, and coiled springs I3 engaged on the rods are seated on blocks I4 on the beams, the springs being confined between said blocks and abutments i5 threaded onto the rods. The springs normally urge the rods and thereby the connected body upwardly and are calibrated to retain the body in its upper position with no load in the body and permit of downward movement of the body proportional with the load or quantity of material therein, andthe tension of the springs may be varied by screwing the abutments onto or outward on the rods 8.

The material to be classied is lled into the body through a tubular chute I6 which leads from the outlet of a bin and extends centrally into the top of the body 8, the material delivered 'from the chute being spread and directed oppor said flange and supported thereby, the bolts ex-- tending through openingsv the plate l1 and the platesupported on the bolts by nuts threaded onto the bolts below the plate, the plate prefer-l ably being supported in inclined position as shown to permit of the ready flow of the material from the plate.'

To retain material in and control the discharge thereof from the body there is provided a-valve or closure in the form of a conical head 20 supl ported exterior of the body with thel conical surface opposed to and adapted to be seated against the end of the body, said end o f the body being reinforced for this purpose by a circular through the body and supported and connected at the upper portion to the body to transmit the upward and downward movements of the body to the rod and closure to effect closing movement ofthe closure by the upward movement of the body and closing the lower end of the body in the uppermost position of the body, and effect opening movement of the valve or closure proportionately'with the, quantity of material in and downward movement. of the body. For this purpose a sleeve 23 having diametrically oppositely extending pairs of lears is adjustably mounted on the rod and' supported in adjusted position between a pair of nuts 24 threaded",

onto the rod, one nut above and the other nut below the sleeve. Each one of a pair of links 2t is pivotally connected at one end between a pair of ears of the sleeve 23 and the opposite end pivotally mounted on the blocks I4, and said links 24 connected with the body 8 by links or brackets 25 fixed-at one end to and extendingY upward from bars 26 xed to and extending transversely ofl the top of the body, the upper end of the links 25 being pivotally connected to the links 24 near the end at which said latter links are mounted on the blocks I4, whereby to multiply the movement of the body transmitted to the closure carrying rod 22.

The material filled -into the body is classiiied by streams of liquid, such as watenentered into the body and subjecting the material lled into the body to the action of said streams of water and the water in the body to separate particles of material from the mass of predetermined degree of fineness or specific gravity and flow the same oi with the water from the top ofthe body, the coarse material settling in the lower portion of the body. For this purpose nozzles 2l are mounted in the wall Aof and open into the body. As shown these nozzles are spaced in two rows about the body and the rows spaced longitudinally ofthe body and from the opposite ends thereof. lTo connect the nozzles with a' source of liquid supply each of the nozzles is connected to a pipe 28 connected with an interposed valve 29 to oneof a pair of branchr pipes 30 disposed at opposite sides of the4 body between the rows of lnozzles and connected with a main supply 'pipe3l leading from the source of supply Thea nozzles are arranged sothat the streams issuing therefrom are directed in anupwardly diverging' and provided with a shut ofi valve 32.

direction and tangential to the inner surface '-of'the wall of the body, shown in Figure 4, whereby the initial material filled into the body, with the body lin its upper position is subjected to the force of ,the streams and effecting a separation l of the material, and when the material consists of sand of colloidal matter and particles within a predeterminedf/'degree of i'lneness of speciiic gravity and cause the same to rise with the liquid in the body and owed off with the ow of the liquid from the top of the body and the ,f coarser material settling in the lower portion of the body. When a predeterminedYI-quantity of material settles in the body it descends propor-y tional with the weight of such material against the force of the springs and the closure 20 is moved to opening position4 proportional with the descending movement of the body eiecting a discharge of the settled material, as shown in Figure 3. I-Iowever,y the actuation of the closure 20 is such that a quantity of material will have settled in the body beforethe closure is actuated to a level below the lower row of nozzles with .the result that with the settlingof the material with the vertically extending portion of said member extending in a plane above the top of the body and the horizontal portion or Ibottom declining from one side to the opposite side, as .shown in Figures 5 and 6, with an opening in the side wall to cause the liquid to ow by gravity from the launder, the liquid discharged from l'the llaunder being directed away fr om the body by achute 35, as shown in Figure 5.

To discharge all of the material from the body 8 manually operative means is provided to actuate the closure 20 to open position, comprising a lever in the form'of a bar 3G pivotally mounted at one end at one side of the body on a bracket 31 fixed to and, extending upward from the block I4 and the lever extending transversely and centrally of and beyond the opposite side of the' body, as clearly shown in Figures 1 to 3, and connected to the closure carrying rod 22 to ei'ect downward movement of the rod and thereby of the closure 20, as by a cable or chain 38. To connect the lever with the closure carrying rod 22 a portion intermediate the ends of the lever memberA is oiset and adaptedto engage at one side of the threaded end of the closure carrying rod. A strip 39 having an oiiset portion intermediate its ends, similar to the offset of the lever member, is xed to the side of the lever member with the offset portion of the strip disposed at the side of the screw threaded end of the closure carrying rod opposite to and in opposed relation to the oil'set of the lever` member and the lever connected with the closure carrying rod by nuts threaded onto the rod below and above the offset portions of the lever member and strip and l by means of which nuts the closure carrying rod 22 may be adjusted axially relative tothe connection of the lever` member with said rod.

In operation the body is filled with water when the material1 such as ore, to be classied, or in the case of sand to be washed and classied is lled into the container and the admission of water into the body from the nozzles continued during the filling of the material into the body the streams of water issuing from the nozzles due to the arranging of the nozzles to discharge the water in upwardly diverging directions tangential of the wall of the container setting up a. swirling action of the water and agitation of the material and effecting separation of material from the `charged from the body of the classifier.

mass within a predetermined degree of neness or specic gravity. The quantity of material retained in the body before the closure 20 is actuated to discharge the material from "the body is controlled by the adjustment of the closure relative to the body effected by adjusting the nuts 4|) on the closure carrying rod 22. The adjustment of the nuts 40 raises or lowers the level of the material iilled into the body before it is discharged, such material being maintained at a l0 predetermined level that corresponds with a constant feed of material to the body.y 'I'he maximum quantity of material that may be filled into the body before the material is discharged from the body is the filling of the material into 15 the body until it rises to a level slightly below the deflector plate I1. Whenshutting down the apparatus the material is subjected to the action of the water issuing from the nozzles and in the body without the iilling of material into the body y until the overflow clears up when the ow of the water to the nozzles is shut off, as by the valve 32. The closure is then actuated by the lever 36 to discharge the material settled in the body and when the water on top of the material begins to discharge the lever is released to permit oi. the closure 2i) assuming its closing position.

In Figures 6 and 7 there is shown an adaptation of the invention for the reducing and classifying of material, such as ore, and means for returning the coarse material settled and dis- The reducing means is shown in a conventional manner in the'form of a gyratory crusher C supported'at a higher elevation than the classifier. f The `material to be reduced is fed to the crusher by a feeder, shown at F in a conventional manner as of the disk type to which the material is Vdelivered from a bin B. A chute I6 is provided fory the delivery of the material discharged from the crusher to the classifier. The classifier func' tions in the manner hereinbefore described and to return coarse material discharged from the cl'assier to the crusher for further reduction there is provided a conveyor, shown as of the bucket type 40 passing around `a pulley 4| rotatl5 ably supported above the crusher and a pulley 42 rotatably supported below the classifier, the conveyor travelling in a housing H. The material is delivered from the classier to a receiver 43 having a hopper bottom with' an outlet therefrom adjacent toan opening in the conveyor housing whereby to deliver material through said outlet to the conveyor buckets. The material is de livered from the conveyor buckets through an opening in the conveyor housing to a bin 44 and to the crusher from said bin through a chute 45 leading from the bottom of the bin to the crusher inlet.

Having thus described my-invention, I'claim:l 60 1. In material classifying means, a container having a hopper outlet supported to have vertical movement and into the top of which container solid material to be classied is lled, a closure to control the outlet, and nozzlesadapted for connection with a source of liquid supply mounted on and opening through the wall to the interior of the container to direct the streams from the nozzles, said nozzles being disposed in axially spaced horizontal rows and arranged in upwardly diverging direction tangential to the wall of 70 the container and set up' a swirling action of the liquid in the container to effect a separation of particles of material of predetermined degree .of fineness from the material as it is illled into Y' i to the interior of the body adapted for connecwith the liquid from the top oi the container and the remainder of the material settling in the container.

2. In material classifying means, a conical container having a hopper outlet supported in Vertical position and open at the top through which toy ll the material to be classied into the containerfa closure for 4the outlet operative to control the discharge of material from the container, a launder disposed about the exterior and extending upwardly above the top of the container, and nozzles adapted for connection with a source of water mounted on and disposed in horizontal rows about the wall of the container one row adjacent the top and one row adjacent the lower end of the container, and said nozzles opening to the interior of and arranged to direct the streams Itherefrom into the container in upwardly diverging directions tangential to the wall of the container and set up a swirling action of the water in the container to eect a separation of particles of material of predetermined degree of iineness from the material as it is lled into the container and ilow o the separated material with the water from the top of the container into and from the launder and permit the solid material to settle in the bottom of the container.

3. In material classifying means, a vertically supported inverted conical body open at the top and having an outlet in the bottom, a material feeding chute opening centrally to the top of the hopper arranged with means to direct the material in a stream laterally to the side of the hopper, a closure to control the outlet, nozzles disposed about and opening through the wall tien with a source of and to deliver streams of water into said body in upwardly diverging directions tangential to the wall of the body and set up a swirling action of the water in the body and subject the stream of material delivered into the body to the action of the swirling water in the body to eiect separation of particles therefrom and ilow the same with the Water from the top of the conical body, means operative by the quantity of material collected in the conical body to control the. actuation of the closure and discharge of material from the body, a lever having a xed pivot-support connected to the closure for the outlet of the hopper and manually operative to actuate the closure to outlet opening position.

4. In material classifying means, an inverted truncated conical container open at the top and A the container, a plate carried by the chute in spaced relation to the end thereof and inclining at an angle to the horizontal to receive material wall in axially spaced horizontal rows intermediate the top and bottom thereof and opening to the container, said nozzles being adapted for connection to a source of water and arranged to` deliver streams of water into thecontainer in upward diverging directions tangential to the wall of the container and set up a swirling action of the water in the container and subject the material filled into and deected laterally toward the sideA of the container to the action of the swirling water to separate particles therefrom and ilow the same with the water from the top of the container and the remainder of the material settling in the container, and the closure for the outlet being operative to close the container outlet to collect and effect dewatering of the settled material therein and to open the outlet to discharge material from the container outlet. V

5. In material classifying means, a hopper,

means to support the hopper in vertical position to have upward and downward movement, a

container to ll material into the hopper, a deector plate carried by and spaced from the outlet of the chute to have adjustment toward and away from the outlet of the chute and adapted to receive material delivered from the chute and direct such material laterally in a stream toward the side of the hopper, a closure to control the hopper outlet to retain material in the hopper and discharge of material from the hopper, springs to yieldngly support and urge the hopper upwardly to predetermined position and .permit of downward movement of the hopper proportional with the quantity and weight of material therein, means to movably'support the closure independent of the hopper, means to connect the closure supporting means to the hopper and operative by the upward movement of the hopper to actuate the closure supporting means to move the closure to outlet closing position and to outlet opening position by the downward movement of the hopper, and means to admit water into the hopper in upwardly diverging streams tangential to the wall of the hopper and set up a swirling action of the water in the hopper and subject the material delivered from the dei-lector plate into the hopper to the action of said swirling water to separate particles below a predetermined specic gravity from the material illed into the hopper and ilow 0H the separated particles with the water from the top of the hopper. l

JOSEPH E. KENNEDY. 

